How to reach the tourist office?
Blog > Discovery of Samoëns in summer > Cool off this summer in Samoëns, alone, with family or friends!
This summer, Samoëns welcomes you in the heart of the Alps and makes you discover water in all its states. Explore the waterways by airboat, canoraft, canyoning, water skiing or just lounging around the pool. The more adventurous will let themselves be carried away by the tumultuous Giffre passing through Samoëns while the wisest will prefer to contemplate the Lakes of the Ladies. One thing is certain, young and old will find the refreshing activity that suits them!
French river of Haute-Savoie, the Giffre takes its source from the glaciers of Mont Ruan. At an altitude of more than 2,800 metres, this Swiss summit feeds the Giffre torrent with its rainwater. As a result, flows can vary greatly, particularly in the event of heavy rain or during spring and snowmelt.
This 34 km long torrent is born in the historic village of Sixt-Fer-à-Cheval by its two tributaries, the Giffre du Fer-à-cheval and the Giffre des Fonts. Its flow, which is six times higher than the average of French rivers, makes it ideal for the practice of white water water sports.
Let yourself be tempted by the descent of the Giffre in airboat and discover the joys of navigation on this small boat. An easier kayak, the airboat will give you the ease of an inflatable, namely its safety and stability, and the sensations of the kayak, autonomy and ease of handling! Take a seat on this single-seater and sail straight to freedom. Accompanied by a guide, you will evolve in autonomy on your boat and you will be advised throughout the outing to make the beautiful descent so long awaited.
Although the airboats are individual inflatable boats, their lightness for launching and carrying, the liveliness of their performances and their exceptional stability will conquer you for sure! This fun activity is suitable for both groups and families and ensures you a memorable moment of sharing. At your own pace, everyone can enjoy themselves safely.
Possible activity from 01/04 to 31/10, every day, schedules are to be agreed
Adult rate: from 28€ depending on the route and the number of people
This activity is open to children aged 10 and over.
Launching under favourable weather conditions
Although equipped with a lifejacket, it is essential to know how to swim. Provide a swimsuit and a towel. The equipment necessary for the practice of the activity is provided (helmet, suit, slipper, …).
Possible activity from 01/04 to 31/10, every day, schedules are to be agreed
Adult rate: from 38€ depending on the number of people
This activity is open to children aged 8 and over.
Launching under favourable weather conditions
Although equipped with a lifejacket, it is essential to know how to swim. Provide a swimsuit and a towel. The equipment necessary for the practice of the activity is provided (helmet, suit, slipper, …).
With friends or family, enjoy a quick descent to Samoëns in a bi-place canoraft on the hectic torrent of Giffre between Sixt-Fer-à-Cheval and Samoëns. Equipped with a paddle you will take place aboard a maneuverable, precise and fast canoe to descend as close as possible to the waves by coordinating with your teammate. Let yourself be carried away by the canoe, give it the right impulse to try the adventure, share good moments and dare the surprises that the Giffre has in store for you! Strong sensations guaranteed!
Isolated between Lake Geneva and Chamonix, in the heart of Haute-Savoie, the Giffre valley offers breathtaking landscapes. Vast mountain range extending from the high walls of the Fer à Cheval circus, last ramparts before Chamonix and to the West against the Franco-Swiss massifs of the Dents Blanches, this valley is crossed by the impetuous torrent of Giffre. It is 32 kilometres long and runs through Samoëns, offering you wonderful views over the waves.
Equipped with your wetsuit, your fins and your float, surf on the whirling waves, face the waves head first, alone on your boat in the tumult of the Giffre, the Dranse or the Arve, to leave with a new vision of the river and water activities! Hydrospeed remains, however, an accessible discipline that combines the pleasure of descents and the pleasure of surfing. To help you progress, each stop will be an opportunity for your instructor to give you new advice.
The flow of the torrents around Samoëns and Sixt-Fer-à-Cheval is part of the heritage of the valley and allows the practice of water sports such as hydrospeed. As you descend the rapids, you will need to subtly manage your speed and the accuracy of your descent to find your way between the obstacles. On the float, the proximity to the water attenuates the apprehension of falling there and it becomes ideal to understand the currents and the river on board.
Possible activity from 01/04 to 31/10, daily, depending on the routes and conditions.
Adult rate: from 43€ depending on the number of people
This activity is open to children aged 12 and over.
Although equipped with a lifejacket and a float, it is essential to know how to swim
Possible activity from 01/05 to 30/09, every day on reservation
Adult rate: from 45€ depending on the number of people
This activity is open to children aged 12 and over.
Although equipped with a lifejacket, it is essential to know how to swim. Provide shoes type “basketball” or “mountain” that can go in the water, a swimsuit and a mask.
Have you already let yourself be tempted by a rafting descent and the thrills push you to try the experience a little differently? You have not yet had the opportunity to do so and you appreciate the taste of challenges? This summer, in Samoëns we have what you need! An intense and relentless activity: the mini-raft! This activity will give you all the sensations of a rafting trip condensed into a small team. This two- or four-person boat will rush down rough waterways leaving you in charge.
Take place for a sporting challenge based on your semi-autonomous group coordination. The guide, in his own boat, will let you maneuver through the rapids. On the program? 8 kilometers of downhill where you will have to rely on each other to tune you and trust your helmsman. No opportunity to rely on your teammates, they will need you to stay on course and find the right current. You can count on the guide to give you all the necessary advice before boarding but on the other hand once in the water … It’s up to you!
Possible activity from 01/04 to 31/10, from 7 years old
Price from 33€ according to the formulas
Launch subject to favourable weather conditions. Provide bathing suit and towel. The equipment necessary for the practice of the activity is provided (helmet, suit, raft, …)
A fun and friendly activity by nature, rafting is the ideal activity to have fun no matter the weather. Equipped from head to toe with a suit, shoes, vest, helmet and paddle, you will descend the Giffre on your boat, a bubbling torrent of the Samoëns valley. Accompanied by an experienced guide, you will embark in an inflatable canoe to enjoy a thrilling descent in the heart of the turbulent rapids of the torrent. This flagship water sports activity will give you good sensations by guaranteeing you safety thanks to the guide present throughout the descent.
Accessible from the age of 7, rafting is a family activity for all. Whether you practice it with family or friends, lovers of thrills or not, athletes or beginners, you will be conquered by the descent along the current. Fun activity to live together and as a team, the rafting will make you live an experience where everyone will have his own place.
Aboard a simple buoy on which you sit, enjoy a descent of the rapids to Samoëns in the rough waters of the Giffre by tubing. Accompanied by your instructor who will teach you how to use the buoy in the river, no experience is necessary beforehand and even novices can try it.
Sitting in the buoy, you will be in the front row to discover the scenery of the river Giffre from a different angle. Let yourself be carried away by the current, sitting in the hollow of the waves for a trip of the most exotic in the heart of the valley of Samoëns. You will reach the bridge of Samoëns from the exit of the gorges of Tines passing in front of the chapel Notre-Dame des Grâces, having as scenery the numerous mountain peaks of Avoudrues or the ski resort.
Possible activity from 15/03 to 07/11
Price: 40€ per person
This activity is open to children aged 12 and over.
Provide a bathing suit and a towel. The equipment necessary for the practice of the activity is provided (helmet, suit, buoy, …)
A true playground for canyoning lovers, the Giffre waterfalls will also allow beginners to learn the joys of water hiking. Jumps in the pools naturally dug by the water, abseil descents, natural slides will delight young and old.
Possible activity from 01/04 to 31/10, daily, from 6 years old depending on the route and conditions
Adult rate: from 37€ depending on the number of people
Suitable for children aged 6 and over.
Although equipped with a lifejacket, it is essential to know how to swim. Provide shoes type “basketball” or “mountain” that can go in the water and a swimsuit
The canyoning courses in the waters of the Giffre offer different routes from the water walk to the sports courses. In this natural setting of rocks sculpted by time, you will follow your guide through water slides, jumps and even descents, more sporty, waterfalls as a reminder. The torrent is accessible to everyone. Numerous dodges around the jumps are present throughout the course, allowing small and large to have fun according to their desires!
If at first sight canyoning seems to be an activity reserved for thrill seekers and athletes, it is not! The diversity of canyons in the valley allows you to adapt to your expectations and your level. Between jumps, reminders, walks and water slides, the whole family will find its happiness.
A stone’s throw from the historic village of Samoëns, find yourself on the banks of the Ladies’ Lakes and the leisure base to relax and let yourself be carried away by the unforgettable setting that surrounds you.
The leisure base of Lac aux Dames is built around its two lakes. Away from Samoëns, this 10-hectare park becomes the ideal place to walk, fish, run or just stroll. Isolated from the center of the village, enjoy this moment of relaxation for you and let yourself be carried away by the serenity and beauty of the place. Opposite the ski resort of Samoëns, you will have a view of the mountains of the valley and the many peaks that surround you. The bar-restaurant area of the Espace du Bois aux Dames will be the privileged place to eat and drink.
Isolated from the noise of cars and everyday life, the leisure base of Samoëns offers a large play area for children as well as sports fields (football and basketball) for all big children. In the summer, many activities are offered within the park such as tennis, an adventure course, an outdoor swimming pool, a bowling ground and for the practitioners, and the curious, a landing base for paragliders. In addition, small family hikes leave here.
This summer in Samoens, there will be something for everyone. White water sports for the more adventurous or relaxation on the shores of the Lac des Dames, let yourself be tempted by other equally exciting activities.
496 route Lac aux Dames, 74340 Samoëns
Activity available from June to September every day from 10am to 6pm
Adult rate: 5.30€
Child rate: 4.20€
Have you always enjoyed it or do you dream of resting with your feet in the water after a day of hiking, rafting or mountain biking? The outdoor swimming pool at the Samoëns leisure centre is the perfect place. A breathtaking view of the mountains surrounding the small village of Haute-Savoie and a relaxation area complete the pool pools.
Whether you prefer to descend the 60 meters of the slide, take a dip in the sports pool, accompany your children in the 25 meters by 12 meters learning pool or in the 50 m² paddling pool, the pool of Samoëns is made for you. Private, group and aquagym swimming lessons are also available. Next to these aquatic elements, you can enjoy the 6000 m² park, its picnic area and its games and volleyball and tennis courts.
To rediscover the winter pleasures of skiing or to discover new sensations, enjoy a session of water skiing on the lake of Vernays. In the heart of the mountains, you can (re)put on skis and enjoy a breathtaking panorama. Towed by a cable, let yourself slide in search of a good refreshing moment.
Water skiing in Samoëns, on the edge of the Giffre torrent, is suitable for all levels. Whether you want to discover this activity or practice water skiing in a more sporty way, embark on a day with family or friends and let yourself be surprised by new sensations.
Possible activity from 01/05 to 31/10, daily
Rates and reservation on 06.20.54.40.97
Provide a bathing suit and a towel. The equipment necessary for the practice of the activity is provided (vest, ski, …)
In search of reconnecting with nature, remember good childhood moments, share your passion or discover the amazing experience of fishing. Thanks to this friendly outdoor activity, you will discover nature beyond its banks and you can also take advantage of it to observe the fauna and flora surrounding you. From Morillon to Sixt Fer à Cheval, you will discover one of the most beautiful fishing routes in the region.
Originating from the waters of the glaciers of Mount Ruan, culminating at an altitude of 2,858 metres, the Giffre is a rainfall torrent, in other words a torrent fed by melting snow and precipitation. As a result, flows can vary greatly, particularly in the event of heavy rain or during snowmelt. This tumultuous torrent is born in the historic village of Sixt-Fer-à-Cheval by its two tributaries, the Giffre du Fer-à-cheval and the Giffre des Fonts. A vast mountain fishing route classified in the first category, you can find 27 km of Giffre from Morillon to Sixt Fer à Cheval as well as 23 km of streams. Open to sport fishing with toc, vairon manié, lures, natural baits but also fly, fishing in the Giffre valley allows you to find at the end of your lines wild trout farios, rainbow trout, Arctic char and brook salmon.
You can also find all the summer activities in Samoëns to fully enjoy your holidays alone, with family, with friends. On the program, guided tours, mountain activities, relaxation, leisure and much more.
Tourist Office
66, place de l’Office de Tourisme
74340 SAMOENS
Phone : 04.50.34.40.28
Mail : infos@www.samoens.com
Open every day from 9am to 12pm and from 2pm to 6pm.
